More than 10 European startups became unicorns this year

The European startup ecosystem is witnessing a remarkable revival as funding activities resume after the summer hiatus. In the first half of 2025, twelve startups achieved unicorn status by securing funding rounds that valued them at over $1 billion, signaling a vibrant investment landscape. Among the standout success stories is Lovable, a Swedish AI-focused coding startup that reached unicorn status within just eight months of its inception. The company secured a substantial $200 million Series A funding led by Accel, elevating its valuation to $1.8 billion. While registered in Delaware, Lovable's primary operations and team are based in Stockholm. In the renewable energy sector, Fuse Energy, co-founded by two ex-Revolut executives in 2022, has reportedly surpassed the $1 billion valuation mark following a recent funding round, as reported by The Times in July. Additionally, Mubi, a niche film-streaming service, raised $100 million led by Sequoia Capital in June, achieving a valuation of $1 billion and joining the ranks of unicorns. French startup Zama, specializing in homomorphic encryption, secured $57 million in Series B funding, pushing its valuation beyond $1 billion. Meanwhile, German space venture Isar Aerospace marked its unicorn status with a €150 million convertible bond agreement, showcasing its aspirations in the aerospace sector. Portugal's Tekever, a dual-use drone company, confirmed its valuation exceeding £1 billion after a funding round in May, with plans to invest £400 million in its UK development strategy over five years. Similarly, Quantum Systems, also from Germany, raised €160 million in Series C funding to enhance its autonomous drone technology and expand globally. In the AI domain, Parloa, a German startup offering a conversational AI customer service platform, secured $120 million in Series C funding, reaching a valuation of $1 billion. London-based Isomorphic Labs, an AI drug-discovery platform spun out of Google’s DeepMind, raised $600 million in March, positioning itself firmly in unicorn territory. Dublin's Tines, which focuses on AI-driven workflows, became a unicorn in February after raising $125 million in Series C funding. Notably, Verdiva Bio, a London biotech company, achieved unicorn status just nine months post-launch by raising $410 million in its Series A funding. Lastly, Neko Health, co-founded by Daniel Ek of Spotify fame, elevated its valuation to $1.8 billion after raising $260 million in Series B funding, aiming to expand its health services beyond its current locations. This surge of unicorns in various sectors highlights the growing confidence and potential in the European startup landscape as it continues to attract significant investment.